I love using a transit pass when I travel, and I always encourage others to do the same. Not only is it a more cost-effective way to move around, but it gets you using more of your senses, has you transiting around like a local, and exposes you to different areas that you might not have initially considered visiting.
Sure. Some places that you travel to aren’t set up with the public transportation system that makes sense for your plans. Sometimes it’s easier to have a car, especially if you’ll be traveling to remote areas or want more flexibility.
But let’s face it. When you’re traveling by car, whether abroad or in your hometown, the actual getting from point A to point B is rarely looked at as an adventure. If you’re driving in a new-to-you area, you’re stressed. Constantly checking map apps or relying on a competent co-pilot.
Using a local transit pass is going to take you to new places. You’ll have new experiences along the way. You’ll have another story to tell. The most practical adventure just might be using a transit pass on your travels.
FAQs about transit passes
Before we dive into how using a transit pass is a great adventure when traveling, let’s talk about a few of the questions that tend to pop up.
Just to be transparent – I had all of these questions when I started traveling and wished I had them all answered in one spot, rather than asking multiple people and searching multiple articles!
What is a transit pass?
A transit pass is a transportation ticket that allows a person to travel for either a fixed amount of pre-purchased trips or an unlimited amount of trips within a certain time period.
The types of transit passes vary depending on location, and there are often multiple options at a location. The modes of transportation will vary, depending on what each location has.
For example – some cities will have a multi-day, all-inclusive transit pass. This means you can purchase a pass for however many days you need and ride the public transportation as many times as you want or need.
Most cities and countries will have websites that outline what is available.
How can you get a transit pass?
In most major cities around the world, you can purchase a transit pass online at either a website or through an app. When you know where you’re going, turn to the ever-growing Google and see what kind of options there are. Thankfully we’re living in the day and age where most things are digital and easily accessible.
If you’re more of a tactile kind of person where you feel better holding a physical card or pass, don’t worry. Most major cities and airports have kiosks where you can purchase your pass. When I landed in Chicago in 2021, I had done my research and knew that I could walk to the L station at the airport and purchase my 3-day pass from a kiosk, no problem.
When possible, purchase your transit pass ahead of time…or at least have a game plan for when you arrive. It can be a little stressful trying to figure out the public transportation situation on-the-ground when you arrive.
Using a public transit pass in Prague
Is it worth getting?
That really depends on where you’re going and what your travel plans include. If you’re going to be traveling to more remote areas of the world, it might not be worth getting a transit pass.
When my friend Ashley and I were planning our trip to Alaska, we debated whether to get a transit pass or rent a car. After hammering out what we wanted to do, we realized that although we would be visiting some of the bigger cities in the state, we wanted to have flexibility to chase the northern lights and road trip in the Alaskan Interior...which didn’t have any public transportation options.
If you’re going to be spending the majority of your time in a major city with a robust transportation system, it’s definitely worth it to get a transit pass.
How do I choose which pass is right for me?
Take a look at your budget, schedule, and travel plans. Then, take a look at the passes that will be available in your location. See where things line up and then make some calculations to find the best fit.
Here’s what I did for my trip to Chicago in 2021. I did my research ahead of time and knew that (at the time) the city was offering a discount for a 7-day transit pass, including the L trains and busses. There were also 1, 2, and 3-day transit passes.
Although I was only going to be in Chicago for 4 days, I calculated that the 7-day pass was going to be the cheaper option. So instead of purchasing a 3-day and 1-day pass, I purchased the 7-day pass.
When I was leaving Chicago, I gave my transit pass to someone I ran into at the airport’s L station. There were still 3 days worth of transit on the pass I was able to gift to someone.
How do I use the pass?
Most transit passes will be either a ticket or a QR code in an app on your phone. There will be a place to show an operator the pass or code, or there will be a place to inset the ticket/scan the code. These are designed so that people who don’t speak your language can understand – it’ll be obvious. If not, there’ll be an operator you can ask.
Now that we’ve got the FAQs out of the way, let’s talk about the benefits of using a transit pass when you travel and why it’s a great adventure.
First time using a transit pass in Germany
Using a transit pass is usually more cost-effective
Have you ever gotten on the wrong bus? Or, better yet, the correct bus…just going in the wrong direction? Been there, done that multiple times.
So instead of worry about having to pay for another ticket if the bus driver is in a bad mood or can’t understand me, having a transit pass comes in clutch.
Using a transit pass when you travel saves you money when you have to purchase those unforeseen “I-went-the-wrong-way” tickets.
I recently was in San Francisco for a long weekend. Instead of having the cost of renting a car, having to fuel it up, find and pay for parking, I opted for a bus, street car, and cable car multi-day transit pass.
Not only did I not have to worry about those car-induced costs, but had the added bonus of being able to ride the cable cars multiple times without bearing the burden of $8/ride!
Less stress
When you have a rental car in a new city, you have so many things to consider: where to park, how to park, costs for parking, where to find fuel, insurance, navigation, other drivers, finding your parking spot again, etc.
I remember another trip to San Francisco back in 2016 where I had a car. In order to get a parking spot remotely close to where I was going to be in the city that day, I had to arrive at 6am to secure a spot.
Or when I couldn’t find a spot close to another area I wanted to be in and had to park almost a mile away. Seriously, I had to set a pin on my map app and took a picture of the intersection. I ended up having to take an Uber back to the car at the end of the day.
Then there are the other drivers. I’m a good driver. I’m proud of it. I’ve driven all over the world and love a good road trip. But when I have a rental car in a new location and have to worry about the other drivers that got their licenses from Autopia at Disneyland, it adds a lot of stress and “what-if” thoughts constantly run through my head.
None of these thoughts cross my mind while I’m on a bus or train.
Using a transit pass in Boston
Given the gift of time
Whether it’s staring out the window, people-watching, reading a book, or getting stuck into a new podcast, you’re now faced with some down-time where you don’t really need to pay attention to anything outside of the mode of transportation you’re in.
When I was traveling in Eastern Europe via train, I would spend my time reading and writing in my journal. Essentially I would do the things that I felt I should do during my trip, but would rarely make time for.
using a transit pass is a great adventure
There are so many different types of adventures, and having a transit pass offers you some pretty unique ones.
Transit like a local
Oftentimes, people travel around the world to see if they would possibly want to live in a different place in the future. They want to “get a feel for the area.” What a better way to do so than transiting like a local?
Especially in more metropolitan areas, residents tend to have a transit pass rather than a car. When you transit like a local by using a transit pass, you catch a glimpse of what daily life in that area looks like.
When I lived in Germany, I took the bus everywhere. I was surrounded by locals going to work and school, also carrying loads of dirty clothes to the local laundromat, and heading to watch the World Cup. I felt more connected to the city!
You use more of your senses
I don’t know about you, but when I don’t have to drive, I notice more things. I’m able to appreciate the architecture of a building, rather than the street signs telling me which way to drive.
If you’re not having to focus on navigating, your senses open up. You can smell things baking as you pass by. The sounds are amplified. You can feel the rhythm of the city.
Your mode of transportation will take you through new areas
When you travel, for the most part, you try to get from point A to point B as quickly and efficiently as possible. In my experience, this takes you on major roads and highways.
Using a transit pass to ride local transportation will take you through more…local…areas. Instead of a straight line, busses will weave through neighborhoods. Trains will stop along the outskirts of major cities. After all – the point of having public transportation is to make sure the public can use it. Not everyone lives downtown.
Believe it or not, riding the public train in Chicago, known as the L, was a bucket list item for me. I grew up watching shows and movies set in Chicago that always referenced this elevated train, and somehow managed to romanticize it in my mind. When I finally got the chance to ride it in 2021, I couldn’t believe it. What an adventure!
Have you ever used a transit pass before? What’s holding you back?
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